think most of L.A. is here.”
Russ’s lips tipped up. “Well, the people who count, anyway.”
He was probably right, but the way he said it made me feel defensive on Ace’s behalf. I didn’t think Ace was like that. That he’d invite people to his house just to look good. But I kept my mouth shut because really, what did I know? It wasn’t like I was well acquainted with the guy, even if I had spent ten of the most intense minutes of my life in his Lamborghini.
Instead, I nodded and slipped my hands into my pockets, and noticed several people turning toward a sweeping staircase where the man of the hour was walking down.
I want to say I was super suave and not affected at all by the sight of the Ace Locke walking down a staircase made for grand entrances…but I’d be lying. The sight of him made my mouth water, and any coherent thoughts I’d had vanished. The man was larger than life. And really fucking hot.
“Wow,” Russ said next to me, and it was a relief to know that I wasn’t the only one having an intense reaction to Ace’s appearance. “Imagine walking into a room like this and knowing it’s all yours and that these people are all here for you.”
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t having quite the same reaction I was. I couldn’t take my eyes off Ace, but for reasons other than what Russ had just mentioned. The last thing on my mind was how it would feel to be Ace. No, I was too busy thinking how it would feel to be with Ace.
How would it feel watching Ace walk down his staircase, knowing earlier in the day all of those muscles now wrapped in a snug black shirt had held me in place while he fucked me against his bedroom wall?
Yeah, like I said, my thoughts were slightly different to Russ’s.
When Ace reached the bottom of the stairs, his eyes found mine and the heat in them matched the flames that were now licking through my veins. Jesus, I felt as though I was about to combust, and all from a single look. But it wasn’t just the look. It was the promise in that heated expression, and in that instant I knew—Ace was coming for me.
As he passed by several people milling around the bottom of the steps, Ace smiled at them broadly, shook hands, kissed cheeks, and every time he finished with someone his eyes would rise to find mine, letting me know without a doubt that I was his final destination.
I swallowed, wondering if Russ was noticing what was going on, but he’d turned away and was busy looking at the lively crowd in the living room as Ace advanced on us.
It would’ve been wise to take Russ’s hand right then and make a move toward the other room to let Ace believe there was nothing there between us. But the thought of even standing by Russ now felt wrong as Ace finally came to a standstill in front of me.
Good God. Not only did he look fucking sexy, he smelled delicious.
I opened my mouth, determined to be the first to speak, but nothing was coming. Then Russ finally turned around, and as though Ace was aware he needed to school his actual thoughts, he flashed a smile and held his hands out wide.
“Guys!” he shouted, and took a step forward, insinuating himself between us to drape his arms around our shoulders. “So glad you could make it.”
The consummate actor, I thought, when what I really wanted to know was what Ace would’ve done had it just been me standing there in that foyer. As it was, there was no way Russ would suspect the guy had just hunted me down with the focus of a hungry animal.
“Yeah, man,” Russ said. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“No problem,” Ace said. Then he turned his head so those blue eyes found mine and added, “I wanted you here.”
The private meaning was not lost on me or my cock, but Russ seemed blissfully ignorant to the fact that his date had just been hijacked. Then Ace flashed a wolfish grin and urged us through the crowd.
“Let’s get a shot. I feel like a shot. Don’t you?”
Without waiting for an answer, Ace
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